Orientation passport : using gamification to engage university students

Adding game elements to an application to motivate use and enhance the user experience is a growing trend known as gamification. This study explores the use of game achievements when applied to a mobile application designed to help new students at university. This paper describes the foundations of a design framework used to integrate game elements to Orientation Passport, a personalised orientation event application for smart phones. Orientation Passport utilises game achievements to present orientation information in an engaging way and to encourage use of the application. The system is explained in terms of the design framework, and the findings of a pilot study involving 26 new students are presented. This study contributes the foundations of a design framework for general gamified achievement design. It also suggests that added game elements can be enjoyable but can potentially encourage undesirable use by some, and aren't as enjoyable if not enforced properly by the technology. Consideration is also needed when enforcing stricter game rules as usability can be affected.

Exploring the opportunities and challenges of using mobile sensing for gamification and achievements

Gamified services delivered on smart phones, such as Foursquare, are able to utilise the sensors on the phone to capture user contexts as a means of triggering game elements. This paper identifies and discusses opportunities and challenges that exist when using mobile sensors as input for game elements. We present initial findings from a field study of a gamified mobile application made to support the university orientation event for new students using game achievements. The study showed that overall the use of context was well received by participants when compared to game elements that required no context to complete. It was also found that using context could help validate that an activity was completed however there were still technical challenges when using sensors that led to exploits in the game elements, or cheating.

Driven to drive : designing gamification for a learner logbook smartphone application

Driving can be dangerous, especially for young and inexperienced drivers. To help address the issue of inexperience a gamified logbook application was developed for Learner drivers. The application aims to encourage learners to undertake a wider range of practice, while also making it easier to record their mandatory practice sessions. This paper reports on the design of this application, focusing on the effect that adding gamification can have on the usability and user experience of the application and the importance of playability testing for gamified systems. Two versions of the application were developed, one with game elements and one without game elements. This paper presents findings from a study that compares the user experience of these two versions of the application with twelve recent Learner drivers. Overall, participants reported that the gamified version was more engaging and motivating than the non-gamified version, however neither versions were preferred over the other. We theorise that this may have occurred due to a number of usability issues that arose, including an increased difficulty in learnability due to the added game elements. These design issues are important to address in future gamified system designs.

AR and gamification concepts to reduce driver boredom and risk taking behaviours

Young males are over-represented in road crashes. Part of the problem is their proneness to boredom, a hardwired personality factor that can lead to risky driving. This paper presents a theoretical understanding of boredom in the driving context and demonstrates convincing arguments to investigate the role of boredom further. Specifically, this paper calls for the design of innovative technologies and applications that make safe driving more pleasurable and stimulating for young males, e.g., by applying gamification techniques. We propose two design concepts through the following questions: A. Can the simulation of risky driving reduce actual risky driving? B. Can the replacement of risky driving stimuli with alternative stimuli reduce risky driving? We argue that considering these questions in the future design of automotive user-interfaces and personal ubiquitous computing devices could effectively reduce risky driving behaviours among young males.

Achievement unlocked: Investigating the design of effective gamification experiences for mobile applications and devices

This thesis investigates the design of motivating and engaging software experiences. In particular it examines the use of video game elements in non-game contexts, known as gamification, and how to effectively design gamification experiences for smartphone applications. The original contribution of this thesis is a novel framework for designing gamification, derived from an iterative process of evaluating gamified prototypes. The outcomes of this research can help us to better understand the impact of gamification in today's society and how it can be used to design more effective software.

Zombies on the road: A holistic design approach to balancing gamification and safe driving

This paper explores novel driving experiences that make use of gamification and augmented reality in the car. We discuss our design considerations, which are grounded in road safety psychology and video game design theory. We aim to address the tension between safe driving practices and player engagement. Specifically, we propose a holistic, iterative thinking process inspired by game design cognition and share our insights generated through the application of this process. We present preliminary game concepts that blend digital components with physical elements from the driving environment. We further highlight how this design process helped us to iteratively evolve these concepts towards being safer while maintaining fun. These insights and game design cognition itself will be useful to the AutomotiveUI community investigating similar novel driving experiences.

Zombies on the road: A holistic design approach to balancing gamification and safe driving [poster]

This paper explores novel driving experiences that make use of gamification and augmented reality in the car. We discuss our design considerations, which are grounded in road safety psychology and video game design theory. We aim to address the tension between safe driving practices and player engagement. Specifically, we propose a holistic, iterative thinking process inspired by game design cognition and share our insights generated through the application of this process. We present preliminary game concepts that blend digital components with physical elements from the driving environment. We further highlight how this design process helped us to iteratively evolve these concepts towards being safer while maintaining fun. These insights and game design cognition itself will be useful to the AutomotiveUI community investigating similar novel driving experiences.

Augmenting mobile computing with video game elements to support, motivate and engage young people in educational, real-world events

Video games have shown great potential as tools that both engage and motivate players to achieve tasks and build communities in fantasy worlds. We propose that the application of game elements to real world activities can aid in delivering contextual information in interesting ways and help young people to engage in everyday events. Our research will explore how we can unite utility and fun to enhance information delivery, encourage participation, build communities and engage users with utilitarian events situated in the real world. This research aims to identify key game elements that work effectively to engage young digital natives, and provide guidelines to influence the design of interactions and interfaces for event applications in the future. This research will primarily contribute to areas of user experience and pervasive gaming.

A gamified mobile application for engaging new students at university orientation

The term gamification describes the addition of game elements to non-game contexts as a means to motivate and engage users. This study investigates the design, delivery and pilot evaluation of a gamified, smartphone application built to introduce new students to the campus, services and people at university during their first few weeks. This paper describes changes to the application made after an initial field study was undertaken and provides an evaluation of the impact of the redesign. Survey responses were collected from thirteen students and usage data was captured from 105 students. Results indicate three levels of user engagement and suggest that there is value in adding game elements to the experience in this way. A number of issues are identified and discussed based on game challenges, input, and facilitating game elements in an event setting such as university orientation.

Encouraging learners to drive using game elements and smartphones

Young drivers aged 17-24 years are at a risk of death and injury from road crashes primarily due to their age and inexperience on the road. Our research aims to investigate if a gamified mobile tracking and intervention tool can help to address this issue. We aim to build a smartphone application to support the current process of logging driving hours using a physical logbook and pen in Queensland. This provides an easier way to log driving hours than recording them in a logbook. In an attempt to engage Learners and encourage them to undertake more diverse driving practice we will explore how game elements can be integrated into the experience to motivate Learners. Previous research in other domains has shown that framing tasks as game-like can help engage and motivate users, however the addition of game elements to this space provides some interesting design challenges. This paper presents an overview of the research and presents these challenges for further discussion.

Gamifying everyday activities using mobile sensing

The addition of game design elements to non-game contexts has become known as gamification. Previous research has suggested that framing tedious and non-motivating tasks as game-like can make them enjoyable and motivating (e.g., de Oliveira, et al., 2010; Fujiki, et al., 2007; Chiu, et al., 2009). Smartphone applications lend themselves to being gamified as the underlying mobile technology has the ability to sense user activities and their surrounding environment. These sensed activities can be used to implement and enforce game-like rules based around many physical activities (e.g., exercise, travel, or eating). If researchers wish to investigate this area, they first need an existing gamified application to study. However if an appropriate application does not exist then the researcher may need to create their own gamified prototype to study. Unfortunately, there is little previous research that details or explains the design and integration of game elements to non-game mobile applications. This chapter explores this gap and shares a framework that was used to add videogame-like achievements to an orientation mobile application developed for new university students. The framework proved useful and initial results are discussed from two studies. However, further development of the framework is needed, including further consideration of what makes an effective gamified experience.

Hybrid placemaking in the library : designing digital technology to enhance users’ on-site experience

This paper presents research findings and design strategies that illustrate how digital technology can be applied as a tool for hybrid placemaking in ways that would not be possible in purely digital or physical space. Digital technology has revolutionised the way people learn and gather new information. This trend has challenged the role of the library as a physical place, as well as the interplay of digital and physical aspects of the library. The paper provides an overview of how the penetration of digital technology into everyday life has affected the library as a place, both as designed by place makers, and, as perceived by library users. It then identifies a gap in current library research about the use of digital technology as a tool for placemaking, and reports results from a study of Gelatine – a custom built user check-in system that displays real-time user information on a set of public screens. Gelatine and its evaluation at The Edge, at State Library of Queensland illustrates how combining affordances of social, spatial and digital space can improve the connected learning experience among on-site visitors. Future design strategies involving gamifying the user experience in libraries are described based on Gelatine’s infrastructure. The presented design ideas and concepts are relevant for managers and designers of libraries as well as other informal, social learning environments.

Positively playful : when videogames lead to player wellbeing

Videogames are an increasingly popular entertainment choice, yet we have a limited understanding of their potential wellbeing benefits. The current research used an online survey (N = 429) to investigate how gameplay choices and the psychological experience of gameplay impact on player wellbeing. Specifically, a hierarchical multiple regression was conducted to determine if, controlling for age and gender, current gameplay choices (amount of play, game genre, mode of play) and play experience (flow, psychological need satisfaction) predicted current wellbeing. Results indicated that age, social play, relatedness during gameplay and flow were positively associated with player wellbeing. Implications for our understanding of player wellbeing, as well as directions for future research are discussed.

Virtual worlds in Australian and New Zealand higher education : remembering the past, understanding the present and imagining the future

3D virtual reality, including the current generation of multi-user virtual worlds, has had a long history of use in education and training, and it experienced a surge of renewed interest with the advent of Second Life in 2003. What followed shortly after were several years marked by considerable hype around the use of virtual worlds for teaching, learning and research in higher education. For the moment, uptake of the technology seems to have plateaued, with academics either maintaining the status quo and continuing to use virtual worlds as they have previously done or choosing to opt out altogether. This paper presents a brief review of the use of virtual worlds in the Australian and New Zealand higher education sector in the past and reports on its use in the sector at the present time, based on input from members of the Australian and New Zealand Virtual Worlds Working Group. It then adopts a forward-looking perspective amid the current climate of uncertainty, musing on future directions and offering suggestions for potential new applications in light of recent technological developments and innovations in the area.

Videogame reward types

This research has been conducted to ascertain the validity of existing videogame reward categorisations. An overview of current videogame reward types is provided and the need for further research in the area of videogame reward systems is identified. Possible limitations of the primary existing reward taxonomy are identified. We propose a definition of videogame rewards and present initial findings on a partially validated videogame reward taxonomy. Future games and gamified applications stand to benefit from a categorisation of videogame rewards, as videogame rewards play a pivotal role in player motivation.